Words
by EveryDayArtist
Summary: "Good words are worth much and cost little." -George Herbert
1. Prologue

**_Words: A Star Trek Drabble Series_**

**By EveryDayArtist**

* * *

**Prologue**

"_I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,_

_And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,_"

-**John Masefield**

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Jim looked up from his book and smiled at the wall in front of him. "Hey Bones, come on in."

"Damned if I know how you always know it's me." The older doctor sank with a sigh into the chair next to his friend and raised an eyebrow. "Jim, where are your glasses?"

"They're…around." The younger man sighed and smiled wearily as McCoy continued to glare at him. "Alright…alright…"

Watching his friend grab his reading glasses from a shelf, the doctor picked up the book from the coffee table. "John Masefield… That's the poet you're always quoting."

"Yeah, Hikaru gave it to me right before he headed out." Jim grinned broadly as he offered McCoy a drink. "He said from one captain to another. Seems he wanted to give some of the advice I gave over the years back."

"Good man." McCoy sipped his bourbon appreciatively. "Well, any new wisdom jumping out of those well known pages tonight?"

The man smiled quietly. "Actually, I haven't read much tonight. I've been… well, for lack of a better term, I've been reminiscing."

McCoy grinned knowingly. "Have you now? 'Bout anything in particular?"

"Just about the things I've heard and seen over the years…" Jim sipped his own drink and stared at the book thoughtfully. "About how powerful words are."

"Amen to that. They once said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Wonder where the tongue fits in here..."

Jim smiled, "Well," He tapped the book. "It does seem to make a lasting impression doesn't it?"

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**This is my second Trek drabble series and if you're a returning reader let me know, I'd love to know that you're still enjoying these. I will post a drabble once a week on Mondays. They will be based off of a quote from a list I got off of deviantART and have to do with the power of words, since the writing in Trek is something I feel has helped immensely in the success of the series. This one is a little short since it's a prologue but the rest will be longer since I'll have a week to work on each one. There are ten chapters plus this one. I hope everyone enjoys these.**

**-EDA**


	2. Chapter 1

**_Words: A Star Trek Drabble Series _**

**_By EveryDayArtist_**

* * *

**Chapter One**

_The purpose of life is to fight maturity_

**–Dick Werthimer**

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Jim was giggling. Spock looked very confused. Bones was trying not to smile.

The captain leaned across the rec-room table and grinned at the older man. "Onesbay, asspay emay atthay ilefay?"

The doctor sighed and rolled his eyes. "Ouyay areway away ildchay."

"Utbay ouyay illstay ovelay emay."

Spock looked from one friend to the other, eyebrows raised and mouth pursed. They had been speaking in this odd way for twenty minutes and the vulcan couldn't understand what was possessing them to act this way. McCoy shot him a knowing look and turned to Jim. "Owhay onglay areway eway oinggay otay essmay ithway imhay?"

The young captain shrugged. "On'tday etendpray ou'reyay otnay enjoyingway isthay. Owhay uchmay ongerlay ancay ouyay ogay?"

The doctor looked affronted. "Iway ewgray upway eakingspay ikelay isthay, Immyjay oybay. Iway ancay outlastway ouyay anyway ayday."

The vulcan looked up-not hopefully, never hopefully-as Montgomery Scott and Uhura walked in, coming over to their table. The woman cocked her head to the side. "What's going on?"

Spock looked from one human to another. "The captain and doctor have been... engaging in a conversation that makes little sense."

Scotty took a seat, grinning broadly. "In what way?"

"Iway on'tday owknay atwhay e'shay alkingtay aboutway." Jim blinked innocently at the engineer.

The red-shirted man looked delighted. "Owhay onglay avehay ouyay otway eenbay atway isthay?"

"Entytway inutesmay orway osay. Ockspay oesn'tday understandway itway."

Uhura was giggling behind her hands. "Why ar- Sorry," She quickly backtracked as the captain and engineer glared at her. "Ywhay areway ouyay oingday isthay?"

Jim thought about it for a long moment. "Eway ereway oredbay."

"Alright, alright, enough is enough." McCoy said, putting down his own file at the slight twitch of the vulcan's face. "Time to be grownups. Starfleet officers acting like children..."

"You started it!" Jim objected. "And why not? Life is a lot more fun if you act a little like a child every once in a while."

"Or every day, in your case." McCoy muttered, blushing slightly.

Uhura was still giggling as she poked Scotty. "I remember you and Mr Scott acting pretty childish back on Ravil 4. What was that animal that you two were playing with?"

"Iway elievebay itway asway alledcay away Orsefshay andway eantmay otay ebay usedway asway away armfay andhay."

They all stared at the vulcan in shock as he raised an eyebrow. "Iway AMWAY away Ulcanvay afterway allway. Anguageslay areway onay ifficultday eatfay."

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**I'm not entirely sure where this came from but I like how it turned out. More of a fluff piece today.**

**LISTEN UP! This goes out to ALL Trekies. **

**Anyone who is into anime probably knows the name Vic Mignogna; for those of you who don't, he's an incredible actor and director who is an incredibly huge Trek fan. He and his friends, including Chris Doohan who is the son of James Doohan, have put together a stellar series called STAR TREK CONTINUES and you all need to watch the first episode. It's a brilliantly cast, produced and written tribute to our favorite show. It takes place near the end of the 5 year mission and it is just so amazing. Even if you only have a few minutes, they have a few vignettes so GO WATCH SOME! Please let me know if you do, this needs to be spread around. **

** wwwDOTyoutubeDOTcom/user/StarTrekContinues/videos (Replace DOT with . )**

**Or their website if you want to help out or learn more: **

** wwwDOTstartrekcontinuesDOTcom/ (Replace the DOT with . )**


	3. Chapter 2

**_Words: A Star Trek Drabble Series_**

**_By EveryDayArtist_**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

_Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep. _

**–Fran Lebowitz**

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Lieutenant Commander Spock walked towards the observation deck, allowing himself to relax slightly in the near solitude of the night shift. In the last hour and a half the Vulcan had seen only a handful of crewmembers and had been left to wander the darkened halls with only his thoughts for company. He walked through the doors and stopped in surprise at the sight of the figure silhouetted by the low-lit lights. He hesitated, loath to interrupt someone else's privacy but was relived of the decision by the quiet voice that carried over the floor.

"Are you going to come in Mr. Spock, or just stand there?"

Somewhat unsettled by the familiar voice, Spock found himself walking forward to stand next to his captain. James Kirk was staring out the view screen, arms resting on a railing and eyes straight ahead even as his subordinate joined him. The young man looked exhausted and Spock felt a strange sensation in his chest that he was feeling more and more often and had yet to diagnose. He, for possibly the first time in his life, felt the silence weigh on the room and felt a need to intervene. "Shouldn't you be resting, Captain?"

Jim smiled wearily. "I'm afraid that 'resting' merely brings nightmares Mr. Spock. D'you have nightmares?"

The Vulcan blinked and stiffened slightly, bringing his hands behind his back. "No, Captain."

"I am impressed." The young captain sighed. "Vulcans are so logical that even nightmares cannot break through. I think I may actually be jealous.

"I am actually half human." Spock wasn't sure why he said it but the truth just slipped out of his mouth.

Jim's eyes widened and he finally turned to make eye contact with the half-Vulcan. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware."

"I… do not make it public knowledge since it seems unimportant in my duties."

"I understand. None the less, thank you for telling me." The captain pulled away from the railing and took a deep breath. "Look, I should be telling you this in a more formal setting but I wanted to give you a heads up." He turned to face him head-on. "I talked to StarCommand and you're going to be promoted to full commander and I'm making you my second in command."

"Captain?" It wasn't often that Spock was a loss for words but this had completely thrown him for a loop.

"I mean it's ridiculous that you haven't been promoted yet. You have to be one of the most capable officers I've ever met."

"Captain, I-"

"Don't worry, I've informed them that you're more than able to continue your Science Officer duties as well. Shouldn't be too difficult for you, you seem to be bored any way. I also know you love, sorry poor word choice, your science projects so-"

"Captain." Spock's voice level didn't change but his tone startled Jim enough to stop the younger man's babbling. "I do not understand. I am aware that it is vital to maintain the chain of command but I do not understand why I am your first choice.

Jim turned back to the railing and looked out at the stars. "Bones was always saying that Gary and I were too alike, that we didn't present enough of a challenge to one another. I loved Gary, he was my best friend but…" He pressed his forehead to the glass and let out a shaky breath. "Back there, when you told me to kill him I was… I think I hated you. But you were right and because I didn't, people died. You and I are so different but I trust you. I really trust you for some bizarre reason. I trust you to tell me what you think even if it's not what I want to hear."

Spock stood silently as the man's words sank in. His captain trusted him, more than he did others on board. And, for some strange reason, he trusted the man in turn. He'd thought the human too young, too over confident to be a good leader. His thoughts had seemed confirmed with the whole ordeal but when he'd looked at the man who had beamed back onboard the ship, bloodied and exhausted, his eyes had been different. They were tired, bleak.

Spock slowly moved to stand nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with his captain. "…I am… Pleased to accept your offer."

Jim smiled weakly. "Thank you Spock. I'm…" He laughed and ran a hand over his face. "I am so very glad you are willing to do this. I admit that earlier I was worried you'd want to transfer to a ship with a saner Captain." He laughed again but it was a pained sound.

It was an offhand remark, but made him seem very vulnerable. Spock knew that he could brush it off and continue the formal relationship that they had perfected because Jim would never pressure him to act in any way that would compromise his heritage. He could stop any threat of compromise right there. There was no reason to encourage him.

"I believe the correct phrase would be, 'Where's the fun in that'?"

Jim's face blanked for a second before a huge, real smile spread across his face for the first time since his friend's death. Spock felt strangely unrepentant for his flip remark. Somewhere along the line, the happiness of this young man had become important to him.

Fascinating.

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**It's too emotional isn't it? It is. Isn't it? Dangit, I'm tired as hell so if these start to get weird, sorry.**

**Did Jim know about Spock's parentage at this point? I'm not sure. **


End file.
